About Namaste Nepal

Namaste Nepal Restaurant serves Nepalese and Indian food, located at the former location of La Esperanza. At lunch, they have an all-you-can-eat buffet. At dinner, they have a normal menu. Takeout and delivery is available whenever they're open. Delivery is generally very quick (e.g. 18 minutes shortly after 7pm on a Saturday). When ordering, they'll ask you how hot you want your food, and spice levels seem pretty nicely balanced. "Medium" can be pleasantly spicy with a little bit of lingering heat, without being overwhelming at all; however, from time to time "medium" comes out fairly hot, so if you are wary of spicy foods "mild" is the more cautious option.

They offer a student discount of $1 off the buffet, 20% off discount on To-Go orders, 10% off on delivery orders of $50 or more. Coupons can be found in the Little Green Coupon Machine for lunch and dinner, for those who don't get to enjoy the student discount. Also, 10% off for Birthday Parties of 6 or more.

Comments:

2010-05-01 13:14:44 Unfortunately, I don't know anything beyond what I saw - one of my supervisors mentioned that it'd be open on May 1, 2010 (theoretically,) and that it's at the former location of La Esperanza. I'll have to remember to take a picture when I have some free time, and to expand this page. —AlexanderHo

2010-05-12 21:16:04 They've taken down the Opening Soon sign and put up their Grand Opening sign so it looks like they will be... open very, very soon! It looks very nice inside already, with a large buffet area and lots of shiny decorations.

I'm very excited to see real dinner fare come to the U Mall. Ohana Hawaiian BBQ and Old Teahouse are just barely edible and their employees are totally rude. I'll gladly have a samosa or two for lunch over Subway as well, which also suffers from bad employees who glare at everyone and are incapable of smiles. —OrofinJackson

2010-05-12 23:16:30 interesting name, I wonder if they will be a suitable replacement for la —StevenDaubert

2010-05-14 17:35:06 The food was pretty nice - I'd compare it to Raja's, though the tandoori chicken wasn't as spicy (good or bad thing, you decide.) I can't complain about the food. The mint sauce is also pretty thick.

Our water wasn't as refilled as quickly as I would've liked, and it was pretty slow too. Of course, it wouldn't be fair to make any harsh judgments - it was their first day, after all. As it stands, though, they're probably the best food offered in the U-mall at the moment. The buffet price is right and the servers were nice. Of course, I have no idea how dinner's going to be priced; hopefully it won't be so expensive that I can't come and grab a bite during work. —AlexanderHo

2010-05-14 18:15:28 I narrowly missed out on lunch but came here to grab some dinner. For me Indian food is the most soothing thing next to my mother's Matzah ball soup. Dinner was okay, not great but not awful. I was served fairly quickly, the only other patrons in the place had just gotten their appetizer by the time I was finished...and they were there before me, but they didn't seem to care so who knows what that was about. I'm still searching for Lamb Palung (or sometimes called Saag) that rivals the delicious heaven I have only had when I make a trek to Swagats in Concord. The batch here was HOT how I like it but not as flavorful. Probably won't buy dinner here but the buffet seems fairly comprehensive for around the same price as Raja's. The flier said the buffet had lamb curry(!) so I'll be back here to try that at some point. Anyone try the gulab jamun here yet / is it on the buffet? My little brother made himself sick eating them once in concord. —OliviaY

2010-05-15 23:01:48 I ate here for the lunch buffet and I was a little disappointed. I wanted to try something new, not to say I have never eaten Nepalese or Indian food. I was disappointed because there was very little variety of food to choose from. There were about 4-5 vegetables dishes which weren't too different from each other. They had about 3 chicken dishes (curry chicken, butter chicken, and something else). They also had this goat meat dish which I liked. Some of the goat meat was really rough and impossible to chew, but if you find the right pieces it's pretty tender. There was naan which is just Nepalese/Indian bread. Then they had this salad/dessert bar. It was basically a bunch of random vegetables and you make your own salad. (its basically an American salad, but I guess with Nepalese/Indian dressings) For dessert they had rice pudding and also jalebi?(forgot what it's called). Even though I forgot it's name, I'm more than sure it's suppose have a crystal like outside with a chewy inside, but it was really soggy so I guess it was old. On a good note the people working their seemed pretty nice. I hope they improve their place through people's comments and hopefully they'll stick around longer than all the other restaurants that come and go in Davis. —iAteHere

2010-05-16 07:46:43 just ate there yesterday and I thought it was better than Kathmandu Kitchen. The food was good (we went for dinner), generous portions, great service, etc. I'm definitely coming back. —RohiniJasavala

2010-05-21 13:34:00 Went for dinner last night. I've never been to La Esperanza - this is definitely a location hidden in a corner. But we were pleasantly surprised by the comfortable decor. Food and portions are similar to Kathmandu and less spicy (I always ask for less spicy). They haven't received the "Thali"(combo meal with sides) plates yet, so only a la carte was available, and can't serve alcohol until they receive their license in a month's time. Everyone's nice and attentive. Will be back! —LeeY

2010-05-21 15:46:53 I had the buffet for lunch today. It was really great. Service was good and their hot tea was wonderful. I live in the neighborhood and am thrilled to have a good choice to eat. It has been pretty slim picken's around here. I cant wait for the Traitor Jo's to open! —ashleyinthemist

2010-05-26 10:16:51 Placed a take-out order for food last night at 5:59. Was told it would take 20 minutes, got there after 30 minutes and still had to wait for 15 minutes. It was 6:46 when I left. The okra and the Saag Channa were good, similar to Raja's in presentation and quality, but not quite as flavorful. The naan was a bit on the soggy side. I am willing to overlook all of these negatives, however, as while I sat there the gentleman at the front counter, presumably the owner, brought me a good-sized appetizer sample and talked with me a bit despite obviously being very busy. It seems they are still refining things, but I'd say it's a very promising start, and I'll definitely be back to try the lunch buffet soon. —IAmNewHere

2010-05-27 19:30:00 This is one of THE BEST restaurants I've eaten at so far in Davis. I'm so glad I spotted this place out because its in a corner right next to the grad. They have great customer service, making sure that the food is perfect. A waitress gave me another whole glass of mango Lassi. She told me she saw that I finished it so quickly and gave me another one. The food itself tastes great, and the portions are a decent size. I would def recommend this place to my friends and will be coming back here very soon. —RebeccaCho

2010-05-27 20:43:01 Went for a second time, the food has gotten much better (as in flavor wise) since opening day and they seem to slowly be decorating the establishment. I am really sad I'm graduating right now...next year Umall is going to have good indian food, forever 21 AND trader joes? I've been living in the colleges for THREE years and wanting all of those things. Now they are in a location that would have been right up the street from me! Oh well, my bank account and my hips are probably both better off for it. </rant> —OliviaY

2010-05-31 22:33:50 Wonderful restaurant! The food was tasty and the service was so much more friendly than Kathmandu. The garlic naan was phenomenal and they brought us a free sample of something yummy! They also have student discounts! I went for dinner so I am not sure about the buffet, but they said it would be a few more weeks before they can serve "Thali" food so if you want that, wait for a bit! I will definitely be going back! —LolaTorney

Do you have any details on the student discount? That'd be useful up in the main entry! —TomGarberson

2010-06-03 20:04:11 After reading the positive feedback other people have submitted so far, I think maybe we came on an off night. The alu gobi and tikka masala were some of the blandest I have ever had (we requested medium spicy) and the chicken was dry, over cooked and had little flavor. They still don't have the "Thali" option and require purchasing raita, etc. at the full side order price, which was very disappointing, but they did eventually bring us pickles 1/2 way through the meal. Service was somewhat friendly but pretty slow. We received the 20% discount even though they didn't ask if we were students. —davisdebbie

2010-06-04 19:34:04 Just took my family there. All loved it....including a 12 and 15 yr old. Samosa's were great. Veggie Tikka Masala was the favorite dish among three dishes including Chicken Coconut Tarkari and Shrimp Takari. All were great however. Will definitely go back and try the lunch buffet. —davemills

2010-06-06 20:45:57 Just got back from dinner at Nameste Nepal. In short, service was pretty shaky, but the food was absolutely fantastic. Best Nepalese/Indian food in town by a significant margin.

The Good:

The food. It was just plain wonderful. We got Lamb Tikka Masala, Butter Chicken, and Baigan Verta (an eggplant dish, more commonly Baigan Bartha). All three were delicious. I'd say the lamb was probably my favorite, but all were great. We also got garlic basil naan. I'd recommend sticking with the more traditional garlic cilantro naan, but that's just personal taste.

The wait time. Our food came less than 10 minutes after we ordered.

The price. We got the 20% student discount without even asking (and only one of our party is still a student...). After the discount and including tax, dinner for three people was $26.94, and we were all stuffed.

Super friendly service.

The Slightly Bad:

The service was... shaky. Everyone was extremely nice, but they had some trouble. They took our food to the next table over, and it took a while to get it sorted out, since the folks there had ordered one of the same dishes. A couple times we had to ask for water refills. We didn't have a serving utensil for the rice. Nothing was terrible by any means... there are just some kinks to work out still.

The dishes that they use to serve the food are a little too small for the portions, and the sauces spill over the side.

There was very little lamb in the lamb tikka masala. There was plenty of chicken in the chicken dish, and the eggplant portion was downright generous. But there were only 9 or 10 pieces of lamb, and they looked pretty lonely in the serving dish. There was probably about twice as much chicken in that dish.

Bottom line: Try this place out! The food is spectacular. You'll love it. There's still room for improvement on other aspects of the restaurant, but that'll come with time. We'll definitely be back here soon. And often! —TomGarberson

2010-06-07 17:00:23 Went there for the lunch buffet. It is obvious that they are still getting the feel for opening as the service was friendly but not quite there yet. We were never asked to see if we wanted anything to drink besides water and we had to ask for silverware. I think that will change. The food was very good. The only disappointment was the chicken curry. The flavor was there but there were more bones than meat. A little tough to eat. —LokiAbbi

2010-06-08 11:14:01 Overall, Our Experience there was great! Good food, but like all new businesses, rookie mistakes happen. But don't let that stop you from eating here. I use to manage apartments in Davis and Woodland, and this establishment is Owned and operated by old tenants of mine. It was great to see tenants put out such a fine product, and my favorite dish, Lamb Vindaloo, came out fantastic!! We, as in 4 people, came for my Girlfriends Birthday Dinner, and for the price, we got way more than we expected. Appetizer was the Meat Platter, recommended by the kitchen, and I thank them for it. My Lamb Vindaloo(extra spicy, which you have to ask for if needed) and the Chicken & Mushroom were delicious, but the Shrimp Dish (can't recall the name) stole the show. Exquisite taste, seasoned to perfection, and the dipping sauce served was superb! The portion size was perfect for 4, eating family style, as in sharing the dishes. I can see if ordering for yourself the portion would be a bit small. (I'm not a Nepalese cuisine expert, but I frequented Kathmandu Kitchen enough to find out what I enjoyed) I say eat here, enjoy the food, and give it time to adjust to customer service standards of an established restaurant and this will be the best place to eat for Nepalese food in Davis. —nc69chicano

2010-06-17 12:46:47 First of all, I love this place! I just wish they would give us knives! —ashleyinthemist

2010-06-20 14:04:24 Went to the buffet today. Pretty tasty. Right now they have $1 off as a summer discount for the buffet. Nothing really mind-blowing. Just good Indian food — with a good variety. The absolute highlight was the rapakivi granite at the cash register! Beautiful texture!! —RyanMikulovsky

2010-06-27 14:36:26 Great lunch buffet. Good turnover, legit indian food. Best lunch deal in town. —tombrokaw

2010-06-29 13:27:30 Decent. A good alternative to Kathmandu buffet, but definitely not as good as Gaylord's lunch buffet (in Midtown Sac). —j0liefllle

I haven't had Gaylord's lunch buffet, but I actually think Namaste is tastier for dinner! Give it a try sometime when you have a chance. Cheap, quick, and delicious! —TomGarberson

Well, Gaylord's is gone, leaving the immediate Capitol area without Indian food. There is a pretty good new place ("Bombay Cafe") on 21st between Capitol and N. —ScottLay

2010-07-02 23:03:53 My wife and I went there this evening, and were very pleased with the food. As other commenters have noted, the service is...learning. And as such, a little slow. But everyone there was extremely nice and polite (if occasionally confused). We tried the butter chicken and the Garlic-Basil Chicken Sekuwa. The former was quite good, the latter was amazing. I will go again, and would recommend it to anyone...as long as you have a plentiful stock of patience and good humor. —RyanSandler

2010-07-05 12:28:27 I desperately needed some late night dinner on July 4th, so I called here around 8:30 to verify that yes, they were still going to be open until 10. When I showed up at 9:30 however I was informed that the manager decided to close at 9pm because they "weren't that busy." Now, I understand closing early on a holiday night, but changing regular hours is something that should be posted ahead of time and that all employees should be informed about, not done on the manager's whim 1 hour before closing. I ended up at burger's and brew instead. —PenguiN42

2010-07-09 19:27:35 I went to the lunch buffet for the first time the other day and it was DEEElish! They definitely have the most variety for the lunch buffet compared to Raja's and Kathmandu. The best dish was the Chicken Tikka Masala particularly because they are the only restaurant that offers the dish for its lunch buffet! The price is very reasonable too. I would definitely recommend trying it at least once. I will definitely be back! —Sarah1988

2010-07-19 14:27:16 My husband and I had dinner here on Saturday July 18. The food was truly outstanding! We are vegetarians and there were plenty of options. We had the combination plate (thali)and it was delicious. The naan was fresh and tasty. The portions were generous. There was enjoyable lively music playing in the background and when we arrived at 9:00 pm there were plenty of customers. The food is definitely better than the decor at Namaste. This is our new favorite restaurant in Davis. We plan to go back soon! The owner came by our table and talked to us. They also do catering. No need to leave Davis for some truly great Indian food!!! —KileyA

2010-07-19 15:10:55 The food here is nice and tasty and I would def come again. Great veg options. I would say though that I find it quite comparable to Kathmandu (so comparable I would not be able to say if I prefer one over the other...), so for me it just comes down to proximity. Also: these are the only places in Davis I can get malai kofta, my fave, but both make it differently than the malai koftas I know and love from the homeland (LA) - they are much more tomato-ey and viscous sauce. So I'm guessing this is the "Nepalese" style?? —soledad101

2010-07-22 20:20:25 I've been here 5-6 times and LOVE the food! The butter chicken is amazing! much better than any places i've been to in Davis! I love that the chicken tastes fresh... unlike Kathmandu. The service is good too. There was this girl the first two times I went and she was SUPER sweet and helpful. haven't seen her since, though. —tinkijoty

2010-07-24 18:21:16 VEGETARIAN ALERT: THIS PLACE IS AWESOME! Their Vegan and Veggi Thali's are absolutely delicious! The naan is always fresh out of the oven! —Ldish949

2010-07-24 22:31:14 been here for four times so far since they open and every time the food is really great. Today tried the lunch buffet and its just awesome.

2010-07-29 22:30:44 *sigh* There's no putting it off any longer. I had to try the new Indian/Nepalese restaurant in town. And it figures. It would have to be as good as Raja or Kathmandu. The food would have to be flavorful and fresh. There would have to be a fun new naan to try with cherries and nuts in it — a dessert naan almost, good even on its own. The butter chicken would have to be as amazing as a previous poster said, with wonderful vegetarian dishes, too. And — how much am I supposed to take? They deliver, and the delivery was prompt (faster than promised) and friendly. Oh, what to do?? What to do?? *tears hair out* How many times a week can I eat Indian food?? —CovertProfessor

2010-07-30 16:35:18 Ah, excellent. Namaste Nepal has the best Indian buffet in town, in my opinion. The naan was so soft and fresh, and they had the most savory pakoras I've ever tried. Basically, the food is just spectacular. I didn't get to try everything, though, so I will definitely be going back over and over and over and over again... and again. —TheShah

2010-07-30 19:14:49 This place is amazing. It's gems like this and Fluffy Donuts that might be able to turn U-Mall into something special. Tried their butter chicken and chicken tikka masala at the spiciest level and it was delicious. The naan was perfectly cooked and even the rice was addicting. My friend who never eats much rice ate her whole portion. Every dish has a distinct flavor and it's just so good for you. Their buffet has a decent selection and is just a great way to sample nearly everything on their menu. I'm willing to go back everyday for lunch or dinner. This might possibly be the best Indian place in Davis, although I wish they had more naan selections. —DavisFoodie

More naan selections? They have regular, garlic cilantro, garlic basil, or kabuli (raisins, cherries, nuts) naan; they have naan stuffed with onions, cauliflower, potatoes, or spinach. They also have paratha, puri, and chapati. What more were you looking for? —CovertProfessor

Perhaps DavisFoodie wanted more naan selections for the buffet, in which there is just regular naan, though it's still delicious. —SS

Ah, that could be. The DF should be encouraged to order some naan off the menu with the buffet! —CovertProfessor

2010-08-01 10:06:35 I've been there twice, once for the lunch buffet and once for dinner. The food was very good, and the prices are great! The dinners seemed massive- plenty of food. The waiters were very friendly and quick. I'm definitely going back.

2010-08-07 22:24:56 I had a late dinner, and it was fabulous. The wait staff was kind, courteous and helpful. It was close to closing so it wasn't busy, so they gave us a complementary appetizer to offset the extended wait time of the dish. The food was absolutely delicious, and a delicious desert finished an incredible meal. The prices were very reasonable compared to most Indian places as well as reasonable in general. I haven't tried the lunch special but if the food tastes just as good for that price, it seems like a steal. —KevinCappa

2010-08-08 20:49:22 We visited Namaste for the first time tonight, and enjoyed it very much. We had the Saag Chana Tarkari and Tandoori Chicken. Each dish was plentiful and flavorful, and the service was great. The only regret was that our first visit was for dinner and not for the lunch buffet, which I can't wait to try! —ScottLay

2010-08-11 11:55:08 My experience is that they have pretty solid service and great food. —DanaMace

2010-08-13 08:59:18 Ate here last night with a large group consisting of 6 adults and 4 kids under 3. The waiter was incredibly gracious about the child-induced chaos, absolutely no snark or eye-rolling (although if it had been me I would have been tempted to do both. We left a large tip.). I ordered the Baigan Verta and the Kabuli Naan and was impressed by both—the eggplant was seasoned perfectly, and was spicy without the heat overwhelming the flavor. My husband, however, was unimpressed by his Chicken Tikka Masala (said the dairyness of it was overwhelming) and plain naan (which he said was more like pita bread than naan). Still, I would definitely go back here. —BlytheDurbinJohnson

2010-08-13 17:35:02 Follow-up to earlier comment- Thumbs Up!, went there thrice in 2 weeks- the food is consistently good. As as indian with a food business background, I can say that they are doing a decent job. Its definitely not upscale, but have got the formula right for a college town. —snehalt

2010-08-22 21:49:20 Do they have a rotating menu for their buffet, or something? The second time I went, they had this cabbage dish instead of Vegetable Korma, and some sweet fried bread instead of pakora. —TheShah

I suppose it's a smart way to customers familiar with less popular dishes. —SS

2010-08-31 16:11:00 Been there for the lunch buffet and for dinner multiple times. I love it. Service in the evening is a little slow, but very nice, and the food for dinner is even better than lunch. —Zzz

2010-09-29 17:52:23 I do not like spicy food, and as soon as I ordered, the super nice waitress asked me how spicy I wanted my meal. When it came out, it was DELICIOUS! I hope this place makes it, because the food was wonderful, the prices were reasonable, and I wanted to go back for more the next day! I went with two of my friends and they both loved their dishes, too. The only thing was that one asked for her food to be really spicy, so it was REALLY spicy, so beware of how much you can handle. She was able to eat it just fine, but it was hotter than expected. This place is awesome, so go there! —heythere

2010-10-17 12:54:39 Following up on my comment from July: We went back to Namaste last Friday. Their service is much improved. The waiters were prompt, the food came in good time. We arrived a little after six and were eating our entrees by 6:30. The closest thing to a hiccup is that they gave us a double order of Naan when we ordered one—but they only charged us for one and we didn't complain! The food remains incredible. We tried the Namaste Chicken Special, a bright red curry that tasted like a cross between a butter chicken and a Vindaloo—very good. We also had the Reshami Sekuwa, which was a Tandoori-style dish with little rolls of tasty chicken sausage, served with a curry sauce on the side. Very tasty. I would now recommend this place to anyone, patient or not! —RyanSandler

2010-10-25 15:42:38 My husband and I have eaten here a couple times, and we both agree that the food is great. I've tried their Baigan Verta and Saag Chana Tarkari- both vegetarian and very delicious. There were a couple downsides. The food seemed spicier than what I ordered on one day, and not spicy enough the second day. Also, I overheard a mother with her children at the table over. The children were complaining because the food was too spicy, when she had ordered mild. Sometimes children are too sensitive to spice, though. Another downside was that the service was a little slow. It took us a while to receive our drinks and appetizers, and the waitress gave us another table's order before we received our appetizer. I think these bloopers will work themselves out over time. They are new, and have lots of potential! Try it out! —Kristina86

2010-10-25 15:44:00 Forgot to mention that their naan is the best in town! —Kristina86

2010-11-01 17:48:07 @orofin Jackson Do you like fishsticks sir? —vivekjha

2010-12-04 19:01:58 Best Indian food in town. Been there a twice. Both times our orders were slightly mixed up. Check the take-out bag before you leave. Great food. —Janny

2011-01-15 18:11:06 The first time I went here I enjoyed the food and the service was good but there weren't many customers. The second time I went here my friends and I just wanted take out. We were really creeped out by one of the employees. (An asian? waiter) He would not stop staring at us and made us really uncomfortable. Even when he walked around the restaurant helping other customers he would still be looking at us. We do not want to return because of this. It was an awful experience. —MeganL

2011-02-06 21:15:23 Outstanding food! Phone order a breeze (but my card number was read aloud!), and delivery made by a handsome well-dressed fella who was totally polite about my pajamas bed hair and gluttony. The chicken dishes come with rice, to which I'm unaccustomed. Rarity bonus: they're open/delivering Sunday nights. —Willikers

2011-02-07 16:07:49 Food is delicious and staff is friendly. However, I found the service quite disorganized. The management there could learn a thing or two about restaurant organization. I had to wait for a long time before I was properly served by a waiter/ waitress. :( —hyangdan

2011-03-12 20:21:05 Warning: prepare for a gastrointestinal ecstasy! The lunch buffet is the best in Davis! The food is vibrant, savory, full of texture and bursting with flavors. Even when you're full and in a state of semi-conscious, food-induced coma, you'll find yourself getting up for another plate. It's THAT good. —kckuei

2011-03-26 22:35:40 I love Indian food so I had to try all there is to offer in Davis. I tried the other 2, Kathmandu and Raja's and came here to see what they have. Their selection is typical Indian buffet and I'm only commenting on their buffet because I don't know what their regular entres tastes like, fyi. The interior is clean and service is good. Food on the other hand it's decent but I wouldn't call it good. Indian food is all about the spices and from my experience, they savory Indian spices just wasn't there or lacking. I always think that I might be too picky but if you've tried many of Indian restaurants, you'll understand the taste of India just a little better. For me, this place comes in 2nd to Kathmandu with Raja's running in 3rd overall in the Indian Buffet category. —C.Ling

2011-04-05 16:06:52 Namaste is an absolute joy to visit! If you're a student, consider yourself lucky because you automatically get $1 off the lunch buffet. For non-students, keep a lookout for the coupon books that come in the mail for buffet and dinner entree discounts. I've only eaten at Namaste for the buffet thus far, but every visit has been delicious with prompt, courteous service and a pretty good selection. I've heard that dinner entrees are even better, so I'm looking forward to trying that sometime soon. Once you arrive and claim your table, just grab a plate and start heaping everything on it. I love how this type of restaurant lets you try a variety of dishes so you can pick your favorite. Their naan is always nice and warm and fresh, along with their rice, and their curries are nice and savory and just a wee bit spicy. Two things that I do wish that Namaste would change are: 1. Widen the variety of vegetarian dishes. 2. Add different desserts. Other than those minor non-issues, I love this place and plan on returning soon and often. —LilyRosamond

2011-04-18 16:31:13 This place was just awful—awfully tasty. We came in 15 minutes before close on Picnic Day (no doubt a long and busy day for the workers) and at no point did we get the "you've got to be kidding me!" look, but were served promptly and courteously. The naan and rice were nice and hot, and the tikka masala was delicious. One issue was that they seemed to confuse our order a little bit, making the veggie tikka masala spicy instead of the chicken. Our server mentioned that the chef can be a little inconsistent with her levels of spiciness, which could be an issue for potential customers who are sensitive to spice. But it didn't bother me, and I'll most definitely be coming back again. —DanVillarreal

2011-04-22 13:32:37 The lunch buffet is amazing, in terms of both taste and price. —jsogul

2011-04-30 10:56:53 I have not been here in person, but this is seriously some of the best delivery in Davis. The naan is so fluffy and flavorful, and the tikka masala is some of the best I've had. The rice is always well cooked, not soggy. The service is always fast, too. Since you can only get delivery on a big order, around finals or exams I will place a huge order and just eat leftovers for a few days. :) If you're too busy to cook or just feeling lazy, I highly recommend this place for delivery, especially if you want leftovers or have friends over. —AbigaleMoody

2011-04-30 19:10:47 Just ordered some food for delivery here for the first time and the woman I spoke with was extremely friendly. She said the food would be 25-35 minutes, which is pretty darn good on a Saturday night. She was wrong. It was here in 18 minutes, and absolutely delicious. See the photo above. —TomGarberson

2011-04-30 19:14:36 Ordered food for delivery as well. in addition to being delicious we were happy that our order arrived sooner than expected. They said it would be 40 minutes but the food arrived fresh and hot in 30 minutes. The delivery guy was nice too! —jsbmeb

2011-05-11 22:42:35 Went here for dinner with my boyfriend tonight, and it was fantastic!! We got the vegetable samosas, and they arrived within 5 minutes of being ordered. I got the Namaste Lamb Special (spicy), and it was indeed spicy and delicious. The single entre portion was even too much food for me to finish. My boyfriend got the Chicken Tikka Masala (extra mild) Thali-style. He said it was very yummy, but next time he'd prefer it A La Carte with naan on the side for the money. However, I thought it added an interesting variety of food, and would be especially nice if you wanted a bigger portion. The Mango Lassis were ENORMOUS! (large enough that the straw doesn't even reach the bottom of the glass, in fact. Protip- engineer a double straw. Every last drop!) It was quite empty late on a Wednesday, but still all the food came SO quickly, and the service was phenomenal. I wish we'd known about the student discount, but it was certainly worth full price. I look forward to trying out the lunch buffet soon, and will surely take advantage of delivery! —ChristieLeigh

2011-05-20 21:53:36 I finally got around to trying the lunch buffet today and it was really good!! The quality, selection, and price of the buffet are similar to Kathmandu Kitchen but the service is much friendlier and they give a student discount. The chicken dishes are tasty and the naan is amazing! No doubt I will soon become a familiar face here :) —alissaw995

2011-05-21 00:41:27 I prefer the buffet here at Namaste Nepal over the buffet at Katmandu Kitchen, I have also been to Namaste Nepal the last 3 times I was debating between Katmandu Kitchen and Namaste Nepal, and it just gets better every time I eat there. —NikhilDahal

2011-05-21 04:56:12 I and we ate here many times for the buffet when it first opened. After a period of not going due to a dietary restriction, I went, had a sit down meal with two or three servings. I was very disappointed with my additional take-home meal (paid for two meals), because they wouldn't let me take even a full serving - only some in one container. I haven't been back since. —BruceHansen

2011-08-16 17:06:08 The customer service here is awesome! All the employees are nice, but there is this one waitress that is just absolutely stunning (yeah, she's HOT and charming, and I don't even like women sexually).

I only go to their lunch buffets though. :3 The naan runs out very quickly (and it takes a while for them to restock the naan), so GRAB WHAT YOU CAN BEFORE OTHER CUSTOMERS TAKE THEIR SHARE. —PaulV

2011-11-01 19:02:53 Generally like this restaurant and its food but had a complication tonight when trying to order take out. Put in my order for three entrees and then informed them I had the coupon from The Little Green Coupon Machine for buy two entrees, get one free. Was told that they honor that coupon for dine-in only although nowhere on the coupon does it state this. They offered a 10% discount on to go orders if I added a small order of naan or some such (in other words, order $3 more of food and we'll take $3 off the total price). We decided to save the coupon and order from another place for the night. —E.C.H.

2011-11-30 20:47:52 It occurs to me that I should just start a running review here. My wife and I get Namaste probably once every 3 weeks on average, usually delivery. We usually get one chicken, one lamb, and one veggie entree, and the occasional appetizer.

Service in the restaurant has been friendly, but we've had a few hiccups. For delivery, which we usually do, it's great. Friendly over the phone, and it's always quick. Usually estimates are in the 30-45 minute range, and food typically arrives 5-15 minutes early. The one time it was late (by all of about five minutes), the delivery guy called to apologize and let me know he'd be a few minutes late.

The food is just plain excellent. We have a couple of default go-tos, but usually get at least one different dish just to mix it up. The following are my top picks from each category; you can't go wrong with them. Vegetarian: Veggie Tikka Masala or Vindi Do'Piaza Chicken: Butter Chicken Lamb: Lamb Vindalu

Other dishes Veggie

Chana Tarkari - Tasty sauce. Always good, but not a top pick.

Aloo Gobi - One of my least favorites. Not bad, just not as interesting as most.

Korma - The texture of the cashew sauce is ever so slightly off. Tasty, but not quite there.

Butter Chicken - Some of the best butter chicken I've had. Redder color than many. So good!

Tarkari - Pretty good, nice range of textures.

Chicken Mushroom - Just had this one. Not that exciting. Tasty sauce, but the chicken and mushroom don't have much going on.

Vindalu - Somehow the potatoes don't mesh as well as I'd like, but the sauce is delicious.

Chilli - Nice and spicy, quite good!

Lamb

Tikka Masala - Naturally, really good.

Vindalu - My top pick for the lamb. That cherry-based sauce is just sooo good with the lamb's flavor.

Namaste Special - Tried it tonight for the first time. Really nice flavor. The sauce is a little on the oily side, and it separates somewhat quickly. One of the best flavor-wise, but the oil is a little excessive. —TomGarberson

2012-02-14 15:04:49 The naan and butter chicken are really good. My friends and I come here for lunch every few weeks and walk out with a food coma. The food is delicious, the atmosphere is nice, and the staff is friendly. —BingL

2012-03-10 18:29:44 This food is so bomb! Wish they had a smaller portion option at a lower price but oh well, it's still worth it. I recommend the butter chicken with the garlic naan. :) —OliviaGlass

2012-03-23 11:18:03 I live in the neighborhood and I eat here regularly. Namaste is s wonderful! —ashleyinthemist

2012-05-06 19:00:58 I love this place! Their delivery is so wonderful and I can't get enough of their chicken or lamb tikka :) —MaryMurphy

2012-05-19 22:00:34 I've been here a few times, only for the lunch buffet. The first couple times the food was good, that naan was very good as well. However, this last time I went with my friends for the buffet and the food was bland and the naan was floppy and lackluster. I'm assuming it was just a fluke that day, but I like Raja's a bit better for the buffet. —OpticalOut

2012-06-08 01:37:52 Food and staff are both pretty nice. Their paneer tikka masala is a little sweet,and they never make things spicy enough. The naan is always soft and their chicken 65 is pretty awesome. Not the best restaurant in Davis but it's still nice. Plus the delivery man is hella cool, really chill guy. Shout out to him and my buddy Chandru, if you're reading this on recent changes right now. :P —AlexTK

2012-06-08 19:30:29 Go here often for their buffet and they are the best after having tried all the Indian restaurants in town. I am Indian so I'm judging them from a pretty harsh viewpoint. I was actually surprised there food was good because most Indian restaurants in and outside of Davis are "ok" at best. The people who work here are very nice. Their mango lassi is also very good, especially for $2.50. If you're a UCD student than show them your ID card and get $1 off. —S.S.

2012-06-11 16:57:57 Before I start, I would like to say that the young lady who waited on my sister and I today was wonderful, and that my previous experiences with Namaste Nepal have been fairly positive. Today, unfortunately, was very different...

I took my sister to Namaste Nepal today because she has very little experience with Indian/Nepalese food and in the past the customer service and food has been more than satisfactory at this location. Our meal started out fairly well, although there seemed to be a shortage of food (strange at a buffet) and the consistency of some of the dishes were different than my previous visits. This aside, the food was still enjoyable; the service and cleanliness however, was not...

There were four young men seated at the table next to us; all of us came in at roughly the same time. While we were all standing at the buffet waiting to serve ourselves some food, another young man came in, took a to go box and literally shoveled every scrap of the chicken tikka masala into it. Now, for those of you unfamiliar with this cuisine, the chicken tikka masala is probably the most popular dish at an indian food buffet, outside of the naan. Shortly afterwards, the server came by with everyone's checks and informed all of us that the buffet was closing. While I wasn't put out, the young men at the next table were all clearly waiting for more of the tikka masala, and when they inquired whether anymore would be available, were given an inordinate amount of attitude. The phrase, "The food is out there... what is there is what you get..." was thrown out with little concern, while my sister and I just stared. When he got to our table, with the same words at the ready, we patiently informed him that we weren't too happy with the COCKROACH that had climbed down the wall and was feasting on the sugar packets at the table. When he was made aware of this situation, he (without so much as a IOTA of contrition) took a half-hearted swipe at the offending roach, slapped at it while it scurried around the table, and eventually stood back while I killed the damn thing. I was then handed my bill, and paid it in full, and left with my stomach doing calisthenics in order to keep my bile in check, resulting both from anger and disgust.

To the owner that I met in the past, the waitstaff that served me so well previously and the very congenial delivery driver, thank you for creating a place where I always felt welcome and at home and from which I loved to order delivery. To the waiter that was on the floor today and whoever has created the new protocol... well, to the waiter: you don't deserve your damn job. A job is a privilege and not a right... when a PAYING customer asks about something, you do your best to answer. That is what you are getting paid for idiot. To the person calling the shots... you might not give a shit about one or two customers (good paying and great tipping customers albeit) but, from one business owner to another, you're in competition with a plethora of other indian buffets. You might want to step it up a little. We will not be back. Ever. —ThisGuy

2012-07-07 17:37:57 I took my family to this place recently because I was impressed with their Rancho Cordova location and I wanted to avoid Kathmandu due to their less than savory record with the health department. This place does great appetizers. We ordered pakora and somosas off the specials menu and we couldn't get enough. The main dishes were all good. They were a little less flavorful that Kathmandu, but that could be because they were lower in sodium, which is a good thing. —DavisCritics

2012-07-30 16:25:15 My mom came to visit me from out of town today and I decided to take her to the lunch buffet as I have enjoyed this restaurant many times before. However, a disturbing thing happened at the end of the meal... we noticed a small German cockroach climbing up the booth wall. I really hope this was an isolated incident but they do say "where there is one, there are millions!" I hope they can resolve this issue quickly but I am too grossed out to ever eat here again. —MeganRK

2012-09-10 11:58:06 The food is good, but I have a negative comment. I purchased 3 Restaurant.com certificates for Namaste and I used one. When I went back this weekend to use another, the owner refused to honor it. He claims he was not getting reimbursed by Restaurant.com. I called Restaurant.com and they told me the original certificate is still marked as unused which means the owner had not contacted them. The problem is these certificates are still being sold on Restaurant.com and more people will buy them and bring them to Namaste. Then they will be told the certificates are not being honored. —musicamyl

2012-11-11 22:49:17 Their variety of food is substantial, and the quality of food is relatively good. However, the manager/owner seems somewhat snide and impolite. My friend had a valid coupon from the student handbook he tried using, and the manager said that students cannot use the coupon. He claimed that it was not for students' use, but for their family members'. The coupon had no such distinction written on it, and it seemed as though he made up a reason on the spot to not have to give the discount. —sparkoffortbro

2012-12-09 17:42:55 I enjoy going there for their lunch. Their food is very good and fairly cheap. BUT - their service is dismal to say the least. They do not refill their dishes as fast as they do in other Indian joints in Davis. Their service is, in fact, so poor that they charged me extra because I didn't enjoy having to wait 30 minutes for my naan. Again, food is GREAT. But I'm not going anymore till they get better employee's. —DanteMcHalahan

2013-06-16 18:57:23 So I have lived in Davis for 3 years and I have been frequenting this place during that entire duration. The quality and service used to be quite decent but, my experiences in the past year were just HORRIBLE. A week a go, my girlfriend and I went here for dinner. We ordered one mango lassi, bhel puri, meat samosas, chicken curry, chicken manchurian and naan. To be fair, the naan, lassi and bhel puri were good but they consisted of a small portion of the meal. But, the peas inside the samosa were still FROZEN. The chicken curry turned out EXTREMELY SALTY. The chicken manchurian was HARD AS A ROCK and had way too much soy sauce. After a few bites, he simply just left because the food was just so bad. This is not an isolated incident, I have ordered take-out from this place before and it has consistently disappointed me (e.g. I ordered a chicken saag once, and there was no chicken in it). Anyways, they really need to improve their food and service otherwise, they will get destroyed by the competition of the more recent Indian restaurants. Maybe get a new chef? —ShayPaddy

2013-07-05 14:59:32 infested with roaches; saw two little ones at our table today and one in the women's restroom...of course, after we had eaten, yuck; lunch buffet appears to be old food they didn't serve the night (week) before + they don't bother to properly warm it up and leave the bain-marie to do all the work; absolutely foul —TeriWehage

2013-10-19 14:31:02 This place is a joke. The food doesn't look let alone taste as good as shown in the pictures. It seems they are using left over food, doesn't even taste fresh. Their delivery service is also a joke. Order food and they forget about the order and say we are 'busy'. And when you ring, they say in 30 minutes.

2014-08-12 16:31:22 Run. Don't walk, just run. I've lived in Davis since 1996. This is the worst food I've ever had in this town. The raita was sour, the papadums were broken up into little pieces, and some potato thing was hard and crumbly. The rest was edible, but boring and salty. We couldn't physically eat the food so we did something I've never done before: we told the waitress that we needed to leave because the food was bad. She was upset with us. We insisted on paying for the lunch buffet anyway. At least the owner was nice enough not accept our payment. This place can't stay in business much longer, I'm afraid. —RobynW

2015-03-08 23:19:05 I thought this place closed down around mid-February. Are they back in business? —KingDDdont